1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to recoil pads and sling attachment studs for firearms such as rifles and shotguns, but more particularly to slip on recoil pads and sling attachment studs for firearms.
2. Description of the Related Art
The art to which the invention relates partially comprises recoil pads and the hardware for attaching a rifle sling to a rifle. Many commercially available firearms are sold having the rifle sling attachment studs mounted to the forend and butt stock portion of the firearm. Still others are sold with a forend cap and a smooth butt stock without having sling attachment stud. Firearms that do not provide a means for attaching a sling are often difficult to carry or climb elevated hunting stands in the deep woods. In such situations, the user must often lay the rifle on the ground while attaching a tether line, climb the stand and hoist the firearm up to a shooting position. Very often, the ground is wet, snow covered or muddy and, therefore, placing the firearm on the ground is not desired by the user.
Manufacturers of rifle slings have attempted to remedy this situation by producing what is commonly referred to as a "shotgun sling". The shotgun sling includes a pad having spaced apart looped ends with a sliding cinch. The looped ends are attached a length of strap. A user of such a sling typically slips the loop over the barrel of the rifle and the other loop over the butt stock of the firearm and cinches them tight. In this fashion, the firearm sling is attached to the firearm without the necessity of studs. A common drawback associated with these types of slings propensity to slide up and down the length of the firearm and therefore not maintain a uniform installed position. The slipping problem is further compounded when one considers the different configurations of butt stocks.
For example, in lever action rifles the butt stock may have a curved pistol grip portion or it may have a straight ranger style stock which is particularly well suited for scabbard carrying. Thus, if the user were to attach a shotgun sling to a pistol grip butt stock, the cinched end has a greater tendency to engage the pistol grip of the rifle stock and minimize slipping. However, with respect to the straight or ranger style stock, there is no stock structure on which the cinched loop can grip and therefore it slides freely along the length of the stock often into communication with the lever actuating mechanism of the rifle. If the loop and the rifle sling were to come into contact with the lever actuating mechanism, it could block the safe operation and manipulation of the lever rifle during shooting and hunting exercises.
Most firearms include sling attachment studs mounted to the stock portions of the firearm. A typical attachment stud includes a threaded shank which is turned into the stock material. The shank terminates in a button eyelet having a central bore for receiving the arm of a sling swivel or buckle.
Accordingly, when a firearm is not fitted with sling attachment studs at the factory, many shooters drill holes for insertion of sling attachment studs into the butt stock and sometimes into the forend stock. The disadvantages of drilling a firearm stock are most frequently attributable to improper or inaccurate drilling and installation of the stud. Of course, if the rifle stock is particularly ornate, includes aesthetically pleasing wood such as a deep walnut or redwood, or if the firearm has artistic or collectable value in "factory form", the user may not wish to drill holes in the stock for fear of altering its appearance or diminishing its value.
In addition, the art to which the invention relates is directed to recoil pads. On many rifles and shotguns, depending upon the design and manufacture, the recoil associated with firing the weapon is often unpleasant to the shooter. As a means to remedy this situation, various manufacturers have attached to the end of the butt stock a thickness of foam or elastomeric padding in an attempt to absorb the recoil associated with firing the weapon.
Many firearm manufacturers, however, do not include a recoil pad attached to the end of the stock. Many reasons may account for this, one of which is the added length, weight, or aesthetic appearance of the butt stock with the recoil pad attached. One common example is the lever action rifle where length is a consideration to some, but in comparison to the recoil felt by the shooter, many individuals desire a recoil pad attached to the end of the butt stock. Manufacturers have attempted to remedy this situation by providing slip on recoil pads. Some of the more popular recoil pads include a sleeve portion attached to a corrugated rubber portion. Still others replace the corrugated rubber portion with a gel-like package. The sleeve portion is slipped over the end of the butt stock and the corrugated portion is placed against the shooter's shoulder.
When the weapon is fired, the rearward recoil into the user's shoulder compresses the corrugated or gel portions thereby absorbing some of the felt recoil and shock. Such recoil pads can be placed on virtually any type stock, those that have rifle sling attachment studs, pistol grip type stocks or ranger style stocks without rifle sling attachments studs.
A common problem associated with slip on recoil pads, when applied to a firearm having rifle sling attachment studs, is the propensity of the sleeve portion to cover the stud attached to the butt stock. In this case the user must either trim the recoil pad or simply attach the sling buckle underneath the slip on pad which causes a bulge under the recoil pad and diminish the utility of the swivel action of the sling buckle to stud contact.
Accordingly, attachment of the slip on recoil pad to a butt stock of a firearm not having a butt stock rifle sling attachment stud does not alter the above described problem associated with the slippage of the aforedescribed shotgun slings.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to invent a slip on recoil pad having a rifle sling attachment stud or other means of receiving an existing stud. Such a device would facilitate the absorption of recoil, eliminate the need for drilling holes into the wood of the butt stock, and eliminate the slippage associated with shotgun slings. Until now, it is believed that such a sling has not been invented.